Brexit talks not likely to begin before 2017

Former European Council president Herman Van Rompuy said that the expected Brexit talks between the UK and the EU is not expected to begin before the end of 2017. Van Rompuy added that the negotiations are unlikely to begin till a new German government is formed after September 2017 election.

The former European council president also said that the talks are expected to be tough but there are hopes of mutual benefit adding that UK had to make the first move. Van Rompuy has also called the UK’s decision to leave the EU as ‘political amputation’. On the other hand leaders from all the EU country except UK will be gathering at Bratislava to discuss about the future.
On June 23, 2016, UK voted by 51.9% to 48.1% to end its membership of the EU in a referendum. Prime Minister Theresa May has made it loud and clear that the government will not trigger the Article 50, which marks the formal beginning of the process of leaving the EU, before 2017.
Van Rumpoy said that the senior figures appointed to negotiate for the EUare very tough as well as pragmatic. Some of the senior figures like Belgian former Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and the French finance expert Michel Barnier.
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